U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,916 to Brown describes a method by which strings of air-filled packaging pillows may be manufactured (by reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,215 directed to a machine for this purpose). A length of flattened tubing is perforated, the perforations forming lines perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubing, the lines being spaced at regular intervals. Air is injected through these perforations, and the tubing is then sealed to form sections in which the injected air is trapped. These air-filled sections comprise the packing pillows, such that the result of the manufacturing operation is a continuous chain of air-filled packing pillows.
In the course of manufacturing these air-filled packing pillows, it is often desirable to transport the pillows from the machine that makes them, which is often located on the floor of the manufacturing facility, to a container such as a storage bag or hopper, the inlet of which is elevated significantly from the floor. For example, the container may be suspended from a ceiling-mounted rail system for moving these containers about the factory, or may be elevated to permit air-filled packing pillows to be withdrawn from an aperture in the bottom of the container for use in packing articles. Thus, to transport the chain of air-filled packing pillows to an elevated mouth of a container, a conveyor device is desirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,916 to Brown describes a system and method for conveying these air-filled packing pillows from the machine in which they are made. In particular, Brown discloses the use of an elongated duct, with a plenum chamber (pressurized by a blower to a pressure greater than the normal atmospheric pressure in the duct) positioned along the length of the duct under the duct. This plenum chamber has a plurality of louvers which direct the air in a generally forward direction. In operation, the air exhausted from the plurality of louvers pushes against the relatively lightweight chain of air-filled packing cushions, conveying the chain forward through the duct to a desired location.
The apparatus and system disclosed by Brown is complicated, and more difficult to manufacture than an ordinary duct because of the need for an extended plenum chamber having a plurality of louvers. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a conveyor for a chain of air-filled packing pillows, which is easier and less costly to manufacture than the system described by Brown.
Additionally, the conveyor disclosed by Brown is shown and described as either being suspended from a ceiling by cables, or supported by a wheeled frame. Both of these methods add complexity and manufacturing cost, and the wheeled frame occupies the floor space underneath the duct preventing that space from being used for other purposes. Accordingly, it is also desirable to provide a more simple support system for such a conveyor.